Brian recommended a great utility, ImageX. In addition to the link he provided, a great resource to review is How ImageX works on TechNet.

Another resource you may find helpful is the TechNet forums thread Create backup images without sysprep. As Chris says, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) has a built in back-up process. You can use Imagex to do a backup. ImageX is file based. You can use ImageX to make an image a machine and if you put it back down on the same hardware it will work, just like Ghost. However, if you want to move it across hardware then it needs to be used in conjunction with sysprep.

The MDT client task sequence has a built-in step for making a backup of the computer you are refreshing. You could create a custom task sequence with similar steps that will run the backup process for you without the syprep. You can also call the TS's from within the OS and could have it stage the WinPE image, reboot and make the backup.

1st Post

by using wds? exactly what it is meant to do. install the os via wds, install drivers, and apps you want, then create a capture image using wds and you can deploy that image to every single machine. some idiots will argue that it doesnt work but it most certainly is the reason capture image is created, so we can lay down the same image on the same hardware on many machines.

Wait, YOU should be using sysprep otherwise you will end up with the same SID under Active Directory, and when trying to deploy Windows Server, it add to the domain!!

Best Option is to deploy a base version of windows into a Virtual Platform, Create the image - install the software, drives, updates "snapshot" then sysprep, upload to wds and then deploy over the network to the end points (computers)

- You can also create an unattended xml file from the WAIK, Which can fully automate the deployment from the word go! requires a bit of work, but once its sorted can save you a hell of a lot of time..

There is no reason for you not to use sysprep, apart from all I can see it being lazy, - can cause issues later on.

I know this. I meant windows would tell me how I could not capture because the system had not been syspreped.

Anyway, if these client computers are all the same model then shouuld not be an issue with the deployment. However if different models then i expect BSOD because sysprep allows you to install the image on different model machines by the hardware being rediscovered for the first time.

Ow yeah right, Yeah you cant capture it, your only option would to clone the drives, with Clonezilla or something, Why would expect BSOD? Sysprep resets the windows image and allows you to capture it for deployment,

Then you can patch all the device drivers you need with DISM, and then deploy over multiple images. Could even have one single wim with multiple version of the same image for different devices,